


Sing Some Praises

by ivarara



Series: Maxis [22]
Category: Warframe
Genre: max's dads love her somuch....
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-10
Updated: 2019-10-10
Packaged: 2020-11-28 19:30:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20971847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivarara/pseuds/ivarara
Summary: Zus is asked about the new member of his squad. He has to answer honestly.





	Sing Some Praises

The general’s presence is so strong it seemed to shrink the room the two are within.**  
**

“So. How has the, ah…_newcomer_ been performing thus far?” It is easy to hear the blatant distaste in their voice as they throw a half-hearted glance towards the subject of their talk.

Zus holds his tongue. His knee-jerk reaction is to defend Maxis, to try and drown out any of the long-held hatred towards the Tenno in general. She has proven her place among his squad many times. It is no secret that he would proudly stand on this hill he’s placed himself upon, would proudly announce how great it was to have one of their greatest enemies now on their side.

But blindly spouting forth the same mantra he used to cover up an average Lancer’s quips would not prove well this time.

“Maxis is...timid, at times,” he admits after a short pause. “Not during intense deployments so much as just during unfamiliar situations.”

“Hesitation, then? That is not very becoming of Grineer marines,” the general remarks, amusement painting their words.

“I disagree, general,” he responds. “Some could see it as hesitation, yes. Myself and her squadmates see it as analytical behavior: she assesses the situation before barging in. Unlike typical Grineer soldiers, there are no clones awaiting the task of replacing her when she runs haphazardly into a situation.”

“Hm. Go on,” the general insists, not sounding convinced in the slightest.

“As stated, Maxis is analytical. So, yes, sometimes she will hesitate to follow an order if the intel she was given differs from the real thing.” The other occupant goes to comment, before Zus continues in a hurry, “She has never blatantly refused an order in this type of scenario. Rather, she will inform me of changes, and offer input to come up with a new strategy.”

“She does wait for confirmation, then? Holds back on barging in?”

“Yes.”

“What else? From what I’ve heard, you’re quick to rant off her qualities. I want to hear some of her faults, if you don’t mind.”

“Ah,” he fumbles at being called out so plainly. “I do suppose she is reliant on others, to a fault. Her kubrow, the cephalon, her squadmates, such examples.”

“Is she able to complete a task without company?”

“I do not believe so,” he admits. “The kubrow is damn near always with her, no matter what, so he is usually the ‘other being’ she needs nearby to get things done.”

“So what would happen if she found herself completely alone? What do you estimate would happen?”

His heart sank. He _knew_ what would happen. It’s why he did his damndest to ensure it never happened. “I suppose she would halt whatever she was doing until reassured further.”

“Again, not very becoming of a Grineer,” the general snides, the smirk audible in their voice.

“It may not be, no,” he feels his temper flare, “but, then again, how often are troopers sent out alone into something?” With no immediate answer, he presses further. “Units are always deployed in multiples. Additionally, with the situations and tasks she is usually bestowed with, it would understandably be difficult to complete a task without a second pair of eyes watching her back.”

“You’ve made a fair point, commander.”

“Thank you, sir.” He pauses.

“Enough, then. I do suppose it’s high time to hear some qualities of this child,” the general prompts sarcastically.

Where did he start? “Maxis is reliable and trustworthy. She has never turned down a job. She is eager to do what needs to be done, and rarely backs out without prompting. She’s definitely proved useful for many things.”

“What types of things?”

“Situations requiring a stealth approach, mostly. Infiltration is her strong suit. Working undercover is also something she is prominent in. She’s able to freely gain access to locations like Cetus and Fortuna and Relays. Thus, she is our primary source of information for such things.”

“Is she only proficient in stealth, then? Nothing more?”

“Far from it,” he negates. “Maxis and her cohorts frequently provide the distractions needed for the rest of the squadron to enter the desired premises, typically through tactics such as paranoia and drawing enemy units away from entrances.”

“Does she herself participate in these raids?”

“From a distance, yes.”

“I see.” The general is silent for a few moments, creating tension in the air thick enough to be palpable. With a heaving sigh, they move to stand, disdainfully brushing off the armor adorning their shoulder even though there was no dust to speak of. “I do suppose these answers have been sufficient. I was sent to receive info about your newest addition, and you’ve provided the necessary answers. I shall dutifully report your comments as stated.”

They must have caught the slightly incredulous shake of his head, because they continue. “I may hold a grudge against the Tenno, as many others do, but I do recognize a good soldier when I see or hear of one,” the general answers, with a slight hint of annoyance.

“I appreciate it, sir,” he ensures.

The general hums. “In any case, you are free to leave when you see fit.” He throws a salute to the officer before exiting the room, already headed straight for the dropship that would take him away from the constricting environment.

\---

Dodge and Buffy are waiting for him when he returns. They’re currently stationed on one of the numerous asteroid bases throughout the System. The two of them stand idly at the base of a set of stairs, while the rest of the Hounds are scattered about in the vicinity. Max, Trouvaille, andHush are huddled near a stack of crates. Hush leans against them smoothly, while Max and Trouvaille half-heartedly bicker back and forth in the form of Max scolding and Trou responding dramatically with head throws and swats with his paws.

“So,” Buffy prompts, “how’d it go, then?” Dodge huffs in amusement.

“Splendidly.”

“Did you tell them wonderful things about us? How strong and loyal and competent we are?” Buffy continues sarcastically.

“No. I was sure to highlight all your faults, so they’d never want you deployed again for fear of mass loss.”

Both of them chuckle. “But honestly, what was it about? If you’re allowed to tell, that is,” Dodge inquires.

He pauses. He probably shouldn’t go blabbering about what happened, but he trusted these two. “Max, mostly.”

They both straighten up. “What about her?” Buffy asks.

“They’re not...planning to replace her, are they?” Dodge queries unsubtly. 

“No, no. Just basic questioning about her. Faults, skills, the likes.”

“I’m sure it was difficult to come up with skills for her,” Buffy snorts.

“Sure was,” he answers with a glance over to the stack of crates. It’s just in time for the three of them to catch an apparent boxing match between the Operator and her kubrow, as Max swats her hands lightly at Trou’s ears and Trou ferociously bats at her in retaliation. 

“Hard to believe there could be damn near any faults in that one,” Dodge gruffs.

Zus hums, amused. Indeed, hard to believe.


End file.
